Monographs Details:
Authority:
Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560. (Published by NYBG Press)
Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Evergreen shrub to ca. 3.5 m tall, with longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs slightly to moderately angled, slender, sparsely to densely lepidote, otherwise glabrous to densely pubescent; buds ovoid, 0.6-1 × 0.5-0.8 mm. Leaf blades widely obovate or orbicular, obovate to elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 1-5(-5.5) × 0.3-4.8 cm, ± flat to slightly or strongly recurved, coriaceous, ca. 0.3-0.48 mm thick; base narrowly to broadly cuneate to rounded; apex acute to rounded or truncate; margin plane to strongly revolute, entire to sinuous; venation brochidodromous, 3° veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface roughened by raised-reticulate pattern of 3° veins and/or thickened persistent scale bases (sometimes only clearly developed near margins or apex of leaf), to smooth (in var. toaensis), lepidote but scales quickly deciduous, sparsely to densely pubescent on basal portion of midvein, sometimes extending to some 2° and 3° veins, the 3° and higher-order veins forming ± raised reticulum to nearly obscure, the mid vein depressed or not, the 2° veins visible to obscure, not depressed or with few per leaf slightly to strongly depressed; abaxial surface moderately lepidote, otherwise densely pubescent, the 3° and higher-order veins ± flat, obscure to less commonly very slightly and laxly reticulate, the 2° veins slightly raised and visible or obscure; scales rust colored, often becoming whitish with age, persistent, ca. 0.1-0.22 mm in diam., ± irregular; petiole 1.5-6 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent adaxially or all around; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds. Inflorescences fasciculate, 1-7-flowered; pedicels not articulated with calyx and appearing swollen just below capsule, slender, 1.5-7 mm long, lepidote, otherwise glabrous to moderately pubescent; bracteoles subopposite, nearly basal, narrowly triangular, 0.5-0.8 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 0.8 mm long. Flowers 4(-5)-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate apices, 0.5-1 × 0.4-0.6 mm, adaxial side glabrous to very sparsely pubescent, especially toward margins or apex, abaxial side moderately to densely lepidote; corolla urceolate to cylindrical, white, 2-3 × 1-2.2 mm, abaxially sparsely lepidote; filaments roughened, 1-1.5 mm long, unappendaged or with very minute spurs near anther-filament junction; anthers 0.7-0.9 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical. Capsules narrowly ovoid, 2.5-4.5 × 1-2 mm, lepidote, otherwise very sparsely pubescent (only a few hairs near base), the pale very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 1.5-2.4 mm long.
Species Description - Evergreen shrub to ca. 3.5 m tall, with longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs slightly to moderately angled, slender, sparsely to densely lepidote, otherwise glabrous to densely pubescent; buds ovoid, 0.6-1 × 0.5-0.8 mm. Leaf blades widely obovate or orbicular, obovate to elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 1-5(-5.5) × 0.3-4.8 cm, ± flat to slightly or strongly recurved, coriaceous, ca. 0.3-0.48 mm thick; base narrowly to broadly cuneate to rounded; apex acute to rounded or truncate; margin plane to strongly revolute, entire to sinuous; venation brochidodromous, 3° veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface roughened by raised-reticulate pattern of 3° veins and/or thickened persistent scale bases (sometimes only clearly developed near margins or apex of leaf), to smooth (in var. toaensis), lepidote but scales quickly deciduous, sparsely to densely pubescent on basal portion of midvein, sometimes extending to some 2° and 3° veins, the 3° and higher-order veins forming ± raised reticulum to nearly obscure, the mid vein depressed or not, the 2° veins visible to obscure, not depressed or with few per leaf slightly to strongly depressed; abaxial surface moderately lepidote, otherwise densely pubescent, the 3° and higher-order veins ± flat, obscure to less commonly very slightly and laxly reticulate, the 2° veins slightly raised and visible or obscure; scales rust colored, often becoming whitish with age, persistent, ca. 0.1-0.22 mm in diam., ± irregular; petiole 1.5-6 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent adaxially or all around; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds. Inflorescences fasciculate, 1-7-flowered; pedicels not articulated with calyx and appearing swollen just below capsule, slender, 1.5-7 mm long, lepidote, otherwise glabrous to moderately pubescent; bracteoles subopposite, nearly basal, narrowly triangular, 0.5-0.8 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 0.8 mm long. Flowers 4(-5)-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate apices, 0.5-1 × 0.4-0.6 mm, adaxial side glabrous to very sparsely pubescent, especially toward margins or apex, abaxial side moderately to densely lepidote; corolla urceolate to cylindrical, white, 2-3 × 1-2.2 mm, abaxially sparsely lepidote; filaments roughened, 1-1.5 mm long, unappendaged or with very minute spurs near anther-filament junction; anthers 0.7-0.9 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical. Capsules narrowly ovoid, 2.5-4.5 × 1-2 mm, lepidote, otherwise very sparsely pubescent (only a few hairs near base), the pale very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 1.5-2.4 mm long.
Distribution:
Cuba South America|
Cuba South America|